After a charged start to conference play, the volleyball team fell to top-seeded Randolph-Macon in the second round of the ODAC tournament. The Marlins entered the tournament as the fourth seed after a 9-3 conference record. This loss ended the team’s season and was the last game for seniors Kristina Scott and Doneisha Hall.
The Marlins placed two on the All-Conference team. Junior Amber Matalus took home first-team accolades while Kristina Scott snagged a spot on the third-team. Scott was integral to the team’s offense this season as she led the team in kills with 247 on the year.
“It always feels good when hard work is recognized. I enjoyed this season and that [Third Team All-Conference] really was the cherry on top,” Scott said.
Matalus followed close behind her with 243 kills and also led the team in total points with 300. Matalus was also named to the All-South Region First Team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She is only the third Marlin volleyball player to receive this honor.
In the first round of the ODAC tournament, the team hosted fifth-seeded Roanoke and finished them off in three sets. The Marlins won the three sets with scores of 25-22, 29-27 and then 25-16. Both Matalus and junior Elizabeth Britton snagged 11 kills in the match, while junior Sarah Brush logged 23 digs. Also, Hall added eight kills and junior Meghan Wood had a team-leading 20 assists.
The Marlins hit the road for the second round of the conference tournament and played at Randolph-Macon on Nov. 2. The Yellow Jackets proved too tough an opponent as they swept the Marlins in three sets, and would ultimately qualify for the ODAC championship where they fell to Washington and Lee. Seniors Hall and Scott both ended their last game in their Marlin careers with seven kills.
“We always hold ourselves to a high expectation so it’s hard to be satisfied with any season that doesn’t end in a championship, but we played well and improved throughout the entirety of the season so I’m proud of the product we put out on the court,” Scott said.
Towards the beginning of the season, the volleyball team upset nationally-ranked Christopher Newport University (CNU). This win was their first victory over CNU in the program’s fifteen-year history.
The volleyball squad only loses two seniors this season and has a deep junior class that will lead the way next season. Alyssa Taylor, Sarah Brush, Elizabeth Britton, Meghan Wood, Lauren Topper and Amber Matalus look to take the leadership reins as seniors and lead the team to a culture of excellence.
Megan Sherman
mrsherman@vwu.edu
